Online content storage is becoming more popular. People frequently store, access, or otherwise interact with content stored at online content management systems. Documents, pictures, music, videos, directories, folders, and other types of content items can be stored at online content management systems to be accessed by users of the online content management systems. In some cases, a content item can be shared by one user with another user(s) via an online content management system.
In one example, a first entity can store a collection(s) of content items at the first entity's account with an online content management system. In other words, the first entity can be the “owner” of the collection(s) of content items. In some embodiments, a collection of content items can include (but is not limited to) a file, a directory, a document within a directory, a photo album, a media playlist, data, etc. In this example, the first entity (i.e., owner) can decide to share a content item with one or more other entities (also known as “recipients”) via the online content management system. As such, the first entity can also be known as a “sharer” of the content item. The recipients can choose whether or not to accept the sharing of the content item.
In some cases, if the recipients accept the sharing of the content item, then the recipients can download the content item via the online content management system and the content item can be synchronized among the sharer (e.g., owner) and recipient accounts (also collectively known as “member accounts” of the shared content item). As such, if any one of the sharer and/or the recipients (i.e., “members”) modifies the shared, synchronized content item, then the modification(s) made to the shared, synchronized content item will be updated (i.e., synchronized, reflected, applied, effected, etc.) at each of the sharer account and/or the recipient accounts.
In some instances, a sharer account can share a content item to one or more recipient accounts. Once a recipient account accepts the share invitation, the recipient account becomes a member for the shared content. Accepting the share invitation also causes the shared content item to be synchronized among the sharer and recipient accounts. In other words, the share of the synchronized content item can correspond to a read-write share, which can allow the sharer account as well as the recipient accounts to read, write, edit, update, modify, etc., the content item. The edits, updates, modifications, etc., can be synchronized (e.g., take place, be updated, be reflected, etc.) with respect to the sharer account and the recipient accounts.
Nevertheless, for various reasons, a first member account (such as the sharer account) may subsequently share a non-synchronized (i.e., unsynchronized) version of the content item to the other member accounts (which can be performed via a shared link). In some cases, a non-synchronized (i.e., unsynchronized) version of the content item can refer to a version of the content item that is read-only with respect to one or more recipients. In other words, if the sharer shares a non-synchronized version of the content item, any modifications a recipient makes to the non-synchronized version will not get synchronized (e.g., take place, be updated, be reflected, etc.) with respect to the original content item that was shared by the sharer. Instead, a modification, edit, update, etc., to the non-synchronized version of the content item made by a recipient can be saved locally or to the recipient's account with the online content management system, but the modification, edit, update, etc., will not take place, be reflected, etc., with respect to the other users associated with the share of the non-synchronized version. It follows that a sharing of the non-synchronized version (i.e., non-synchronized share) of the content item can also be referred to as a sharing of the read-only version of the content item (i.e., read-only share).
In one example, a first member account may have forgotten that a synchronized version of a content item has already been shared with the other member accounts. In another example, it may have been more convenient for the first member account to share the non-synchronized (i.e., unsynchronized, read-only) version of the content item to the other member accounts. In a further example, the first member account may have wanted to use the sharing of the non-synchronized version as a reminder, notification, or information provider to the other member accounts.
However, a share invitation (e.g., link share invitation) to the other member accounts regarding the non-synchronized version of the content item may cause inconvenience or other concerns to the other member accounts, since the synchronized version of the content item has already been shared with them. For example, the other members can end up downloading multiple copies or versions of the content item. In another example, the other members can make edits to the non-synchronized version, but the edits cannot be updated or synchronized (e.g., with respect to the original sharer and/or the other members). In a further example, the other members may have to recognize that they already have access to the synchronized version and thus may need to manually navigate to the location at which the synchronized version is stored. These and other concerns can create challenges for the overall user experience associated with sharing content via online content management systems.